Swedish man charged with hotel room theft denied bail

A court has remanded a Swedish man in custody on account of his having lost both his ID card and passport, after he was arraigned this afternoon on charges of simple theft.

Magistrate Gabriella Vella heard Inspector Trevor Micallef accuse 28-year old Emil Sebastian Engstrom Launoila, who said he had just found work as a salesman, of having stolen a bag containing an IPad, together valued at over €900 , from a hotel room.

Engstrom Launoila’s girlfriend, Niina Joensuu, testified that she had been living in Malta for 10 months, the last nine of which she had been in a relationship with the accused. She claimed that they had moved to the hotel from a shared residence in Sliema some five days ago.

Joensuu said that she had returned to the hotel yesterday at around 4pm to meet the accused and had gone for a coffee, after which she took a taxi to Sliema, returning to the hotel afterwards.

She explained that the police knocked on the door to her room at around 7pm and started searching. “They found a bag in my room,” she said, clarifying that it was not hers and nor was it the accused’s.

“I called Sebastian and he promised to come but he never did. He told me not to say anything about anything” said the witness. 

Legal aid lawyer Alessandro Lia asked her whether, on the day when the police knocked on the door, she had already noticed the bag. She replied that she had not, nor had she during the preceding two days.

“So the only reason you noticed this bag was because the police told you they were searching for it?” Joensuu replied in the affirmative. She said that the police had told her that there were reports of stolen items in the room, so she let them in.

No other persons, aside from hotel staff, technicians and cleaners had been seen entering the hotel room, she claimed.

The accused, who appeared to be exasperated at the situation and highly agitated throughout the sitting, interrupted proceedings on at least five occasions, protesting that he was being treated unfairly. “This has been handled in the worst way possible,” he exclaimed at a point.

Lia entered a not guilty plea and requested bail, pointing out that the objects stolen were a bag, an iPad and €80.

“We are also talking of a man who is an EU national and who has resided permanently in Malta for ten months with his girlfriend, a man who has recently started making a living in Malta. We are also looking at a case where the prosecution has already brought forward the only civilian witness in the case and therefore there is no risk of tampering of evidence.”  

Lia acknowledged that the accused had a previous conviction, but pointed out that it was about a fight and not a theft. “Once cannot say that he has a history of previous theft offences and must be remanded.”

The defence also submitted that the court could impose guarantees to discourage the accused from attempting to abscond or skip court appearances.

However Inspector Micallef objected to Engrstrom Launoila’s release, saying that the bag belongs to a person who works at the hotel and the accused knows who it is. There is also a conviction abroad, added the inspector.

He asked the court to impose a guarantee of at least €1,000 on the accused, should bail be granted.

However the court decided not to grant bail, the magistrate citing concerns that the accused might tamper with evidence as well as the fact that he had no fixed address and had lost both his ID card and passport.

Upon learning that he was to be remanded in custody, the accused gave a wink and two thumbs up to the inspector, sarcastically telling him “good job, good job,” much to his lawyer’s chagrin.

In spite of Lia’s calm explanation as to what was going to happen next, Engrstrom Launoila's bewilderment at the fact that he was going to be remanded was clear as he protested loudly to his lawyer. “Nothing works here! He doesn’t care!” he said, pointing at the inspector as he was led away.